Evaluation of Clinical Variables, Treatment Resistance and Factors Affecting the Hospital Stay Duration in Geriatric Depressive Disorders

Abstract

Objective: In this study, the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics and the factors affecting the duration of hospitalization in geriatric depression patients treated in a university hospital were evaluated. Method: Geriatric depression patients who were hospitalized between 2009-2019 were evaluated retrospectively. 76 geriatric depression patients were included in the study. Comparisons were made according to whether patients were resistant to treatment and the age of onset of the disease. Factors affecting the duration of hospitalization were evaluated. Results: 44 of 76 patients who participated in the study were male. Most of the patients (42/76) were admitted to the psychiatry clinic for the first time, and 20 of them were considered depressive disorder with psychotic features. ECT was applied to 10 of the patients, 28 of them had Magnetic Resonance Imaging and 23 of them had white matter hyperintensities in Magnetic Resonance Imaging. At the time of discharge, antipsychotics in 41 patients, benzodiazepines in 31 patients, and a mood stabilizer in seven patients were recommended in combination with antidepressants in 61 patients. Geriatric depressive patients who were resistant to treatment or had psychotic symptoms were hospitalized for a longer period of time. There was no difference between early and late onset geriatric depression groups in terms of gender, length of stay, psychotic feature, and treatment resistance. Discussion: According to the findings of the study, it was determined that most of the geriatric depression patients who received inpatient treatment were admitted to the psychiatry clinic for the first time, early and late onset did not differ in response to treatment, and the fact that depressive episode had a psychotic feature or was resistant to treatment was two variables that prolonged the hospitalization period.